SPEARMINT: (NAP) 



I daren't tell Franklin at the time how ridiculous a 

 figure I had cut, but he will know now. By the way 

 he himself has wagered on various occasions I think 

 he felt inclined to smack his own face, for I do not 

 think he won quite a thousand, yet others benefited 

 by his advice and did not look after him in the way 

 that he had a right to expect. In fact, I have heard — 

 not from Franklin — of one man who got on at thirty- 

 three to one and only returned him a hundred to 

 six. Of course it was a great triumph for the Express, 

 as there was only one thing to do on the day of the 

 race, to "nap" Spearmint; and I gave Troutbeck for 

 a place. The latter made the pace a cracker, and 

 looked like a winner until the distance, when Picton 

 came upsides with him, and then Danny set Spearmint 

 going and I shall always think that he won more 

 easily than many afterwards gave him credit for 

 doing. It was one of the greatest fields that ever ran 

 for a Derby, as quite seven of those who finished 

 behind the winner turned out wonderfully afterwards. 

 The White Knight was unplaced, and so was Radium, 

 also Beppo and Lally. Troutbeck afterwards won 

 the St Leger. Picton has turned out a great sire, 

 and surely Lally has proved himself. 



There was one most pathetic incident after the race. 

 I saw Mr Purefoy standing alone ; he was avoiding 

 his fellow-man ; tears were in his eyes. He is sports- 

 man enough to take a reverse, but I shall always think 

 that it was a deep regret that he had been so optimistic 

 about Lally. His emotions were those of a man who 

 dearly loves a horse, and he really had, by what had 

 transpired, a certainty which would come off in nine- 

 teen years out of twenty. The fact that a special 

 supper had been ordered at Romano's, in which 

 restaurant Mr Purefoy has a big financial interest, 



N 193 



